My hopes are that this page will help someone to compare the various Radio
Shack models with their Bounty Hunter equivalents. I have manuals for most
of the models listed here in either text or PDF format and just finished
putting them online.

Not all Radio Shack detectors are made by Bounty Hunter, but the majority
certainly are. So many variations of Bounty Hunter models have been offered
by national retailers as well as directly from Bounty Hunter, that it can
become very confusing about which model does what. If you buy one at a yard
sale and don't receive the manual, you can be lost. Radio Shack doesn't support
older models very well, and a lot of the info that was posted on metal detecting
forums has also faded and disappeared over the years. As a die-hard Bounty
Hunter fan, I more or less took it upon myself to help preserve and explain
as much of it as I could. I've gathered and copied a wealth of info in the
past 10 years and I'm now sharing it with others via these pages.

Some of these detector designs go back quite a ways to earlier technologies,
though some are modernized at least in their appearance, if not their function.
Though the technology may be dated, there is nothing intrinsically wrong
with the basic VLF and VLF/TR detectors. Matter of fact, most all modern
detectors still use the same VLF/TR concepts. Some very knowledgeable people
continue to prefer vintage analog designs over the latest digital counterparts,
but these people might do better by seeking out an older Compass or White's
model, for example, or perhaps even better, a genuine vintage Bounty Hunter,
like one of the Red Baron or Big Bud series, rather than a "lowly" Micronta
4003.

Generally speaking, I would not expect as much for depth, ground-handling
and discrimination in some VLF or VLF/TR models, such as the 63-3001 TR/IB.
the 63-3003 Micronta 4003 and budget-priced 63-3005 VLF, for examples, when
compared to more modern designs. Back in 1980, the 63-3003 Micronta 4003
was "state of the art" VLF/TR technology. While some other companies at the
time may have done it better, many of them are no longer in business, so
there's perhaps something to be said about that. The Micronta 4003 is itself
no longer manufactured, but many units have survived and continue to resurface
with new owners who don't know what they have, but are eager to try it out.

The 63-3005 VLF is simply a budget model aimed at new and/or youthful
detectorists and quite honestly, is easily improved upon. If you're still
shopping, look instead for a Tracker IV, a Discovery 1 or any of the many
models above them. But, no matter which model you have, we're here to help
you learn to use it!

Regardless of the many diverse opinions on this analog versus digital
subject, you're much more likely to come upon one of these older Radio Shack
detectors at an affordable price than you are a nice, vintage White's or
Compass model. So I log my observations and info equally on them all, the
same as I would any other Bounty Hunter machine, and try to leave it to the
reader to decide.

As mentioned, there are several models that are indeed very similar to Bounty
Hunter detectors, if not exact clones. Back in 2002, I logged these similarities
and differences into a list that has been widely copied and distributed ever
since. You can read the full list
here, and also copied
below. In 2002, Radio Shack was just then coming out
with the Discovery 1100, 2200 and 3300 models. Unfortunately, I let my attention
to this list slide since those days, but it's still a useful resource for
these earlier models. I did however, continue to collect info! Consider these
pages as a direct result of my original list. It's grown into what you might
call a List II VLF/SED, if you will! ;^)

Some of the info in my list is apparently subject to opinion. Some models
appear to be twins, while others have a feature added or subtracted. For
example, the 63-3008 Discovery 3 looks for all the world to be a BH Big Bud
Pro SED (it's pretty obvious that the Big Bud was also the basis for the
original Quick Draw). The Discovery 2 also appears patterned after another
of the Big Bud series of detectors. And on it goes. But, at least one detectorist
expressed the opinion the machines do not necessarily perform the same. This
may be easily explained away by variations in manufacture or perhaps he tested
a defective machine, but it is equally possible that the two versions differ
internally. In fairness, I included his unedited post as part of my list.
Truth be known, I've had my personal mitts on way too few of these detectors
to have an actual opinion!

Don't overlook the 63-3013 VLF/TR either, as a model with roots possibly
based on the Big Bug series. It came it two versions, the newest one seems
to be visually at least, a clone of the current BH "VLF" model.

When the original BH company website and forum was dismantled some years
past, a ton of info was lost forever. I managed to salvage many manuals by
scouring www.archive.org and I've supplanted those with things I've downloaded
and copied over the years. The current Bounty Hunter website,
www.detecting.com still has a ton
of info and many current manuals. Rather than duplicate that here, I am instead
concentrating on finding and preserving what is hard to find, bordering on
lost information. Where else but
here can you peek inside
a Bounty Hunter 4" coil? You could probably eventually find it all elsewhere
or discover it yourself, but having it all logically organized in this one
comprehensive source has been my goal.

It's December 25th, 2010. I'm down to this last, very important page, and
it feels good. Merry Christmas! (It's now New Year's Day, and I'm done, yahoo!)

A few years back, I asked George Payne, who designed the Red Baron, Big Bud
and early Teknetics machines, such as the legendary Mark 1, if he recalled
what changes were made when First Texas acquired the Bounty Hunter and Teknetics
names and related patents. Sadly, he could not remember well enough to give
any details, but you can find some of his writings elsewhere online where
he does share some of his recollections of his involvement with these remarkable
early designs that have helped to shape metal detecting as it's practiced
today.

I put the same question to Dave Johnson, chief engineer at Bounty Hunter
today and one remarkable detector designer himself. He has the Fisher Gold
Bug, the Teknetics T2 and many other machines under his belt. He also was
unable to give any details about these early Bounty Hunter and Teknetics
designs and how they compared to Radio Shack or other current BH models.
So all we really have to link 1976 to 2011 is what we can discover or
unearth ourselves.

While the jury may remain out on the Big Bud versus Discovery 3 question,
other relationships between models are more clear-cut, as you'll find by
reading the info below and comparing the various Radio Shack metal detectors
to the Bounty Hunter models found on our other pages.

In the final analysis, without having one (and preferably several!) of each
RS and BH model in hand to compare, inspect and disassemble, there's no way
of knowing for sure how "equivalent" they really are. All I can say is this:
If I spot one in a yard sale for $10, I'll for sure be picking it up!

Might make a good hacker project or use as a pinpointer.
Plant some shallow coins for the toddler to find with it.

I had kinda quit following the model progression around 2002,
when the new generation Discovery detectors were released.
I've read they're actually fairly capable machines.
If you find one cheap, snag it!

Posted by: greg Sep 25 2002 10:43AM: The radioshack discovery 2 and discovery
3 metal detectors are definitely not big bud clones . i had a discovery 3
and it lacked depth . the big bud series detectors get exceptional depth.the
only thing similar with the detectors is the control box and thats it . hh
greg)

Current BH models and their "equivalents". =~ means "basically equal with
some differences":

The Bounty Hunter Challenger is an exclusive model sold by Bass Pro. The
Challenger has a large screen display for the "Sensitivity Meter" that visually
helps you see the size and strength of your located target.

Other Radio Shack Models, that have no Bounty Hunter Equivalents that
I am aware of: